The Vortex of Haines, Alaska

I’ve never lived in a place so full of synchronicity and serendipity. It’s as if this place was also looking for us all along. This is Haines, Alaska. We moved here in 2016 and have been enjoying this nook on the water for a few years now. One of the glaring insights I’ve received was that Haines is a vortex – as in, not just the place, but the PEOPLE also. Which is molding which… I’m just not sure of that one yet.

I could tell you all the magical things that happen here, but it’s private and in true Alaskan fashion, I’d like to keep it that way. But, what I will share is one recent event that had me giggling all the way home.

My mom was visiting us in Colorado right before we came back to Alaska and she flew back on the plane to her home-base. She met a friendly gentleman on the flight, who had a magical twinkle in his eye – almost an elemental feel she described. A brief conversation started as they noticed my mother’s son-in-law (my husband) had similar careers in the same field of work. The twinkly man then asked, “so your kids live in Colorado”? To him, she exclaimed, “oh no, they spend a few months in Colorado and then the rest in Alaska!”

Intrigued, the man piped up, “where in Alaska?” “Reason being, I was just connecting with my friend that owns a coffee shop who lived in Colorado and now in Alaska.” “Hmmmm, I can’t remember the town, it’s so quaint and adorable, right in the inside passage – up top.” My mother at this point is probably jumping up and down inside her seat belted body, in anticipation and then she says, “was it Haines, Alaska?”. “Yeah, I think that was the name of my friend’s town too!”, he said in delight.

Here’s the kicker, Haines is small. Like, -/+1500 people within town limits, no stop lights, everyone waves a grand gesture your way regardless if they know you – basically it’s the 21st century Mayberry. So, you can bet I know that gentleman’s friend who was talking with my mother, the owner of the Rusty Compass coffee shop. Actually as fate would have it, we shared a 5 hour ferry ride to Juneau last fall with Lee of the Rusty Compass. We talked on that ferry trip and our kid had fun with his, and that’s when we found out he just moved here from Colorado, very close to where we live when in CO.

So, on a plane, this connection keeps on traveling. It can’t stop, energy never does when it’s fed through joy. Here’s my mother and this stranger discovering this thread that’s intrinsically woven into the tapestry of *fated life, and so “on-point”, it’s spooky.

Haines, AK called for us, without caller ID, and we picked up! We purchased both Alaska properties sight unseen. Heck, we never set foot in Haines, AK prior to moving here, even though we did a 6 week honeymoon trip in 2004 driving all around Alaska. And still, intuitively, I just knew this place was it. It was undeniable and I couldn’t ignore how easily it happened. As in Alaska, things aren’t necessarily easy, instead you have to be ‘easy’ and flexible.

The best part of this vortex – the people make the place, as the place requires the people’s presence in awakening all the senses. This is real living and it’s so juicy when awake.